PERC 2021 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Identifying the Resources that Support the Success of African Americans in STEM |
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| Abstract: | In this session two scholars will share their dissertation work investigating the success of African Americans in STEM. Both of these scholars take an asset-based approach to understand how their participants were successful despite inequities, injustice, and barriers to their success. Both works also center the voices of those marginalized and minoritized in the STEM fields. The first speaker focuses on successful African American males majoring in STEM at a predominantly white institution. The second speaker focuses on successful, African American women with professional careers in STEM within the academy. After the speaker's presentations and brief question and answer each presentation, there will be 20 minutes for a longer conversation with the speakers on the implications of their work for the field of physics education research. |
| Abstract Type: | Talk Symposium |
| Session Time: | Parallel Sessions Cluster III |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Geraldine L. Cochran Rutgers University NJ |
Symposium Specific Information | |
| Moderator: | Geraldine L. Cochran |
| Presentation 1 Title: | Understanding the Lived Experiences of Academically Successful Undergraduate Black Men in STEM |
| Presentation 1 Authors: | Sharitta Gross |
| Presentation 1 Abstract: | The lack of racial diversity and historical racial inequities within the STEM field make focusing on academic success in relation to populations minoritized due to race essential. It is particularly important to understand the experiences of academically successful, talented "Black males whose educational plight pushes them to the wayside" (Grantham, 2011, p. 263). While there is much research on this topic within the body of literature, much of that work takes a deficit approach. The study presented in this paper takes an asset-based approach designed to capture the lived experiences of 10 academically successful, undergraduate Black males in STEM disciplines within a predominantly white institution. Although the larger study resulted in numerous findings with implications for college faculty and administrators, in this paper we focus on the importance of ethnic diversity amongst faculty and to financial support. |
| Presentation 2 Title: | Understanding how African American Women in STEM Overcome Barriers within the Academy |
| Presentation 2 Authors: | Nora Howard |
| Presentation 2 Abstract: | Previous research indicates that African American women often experience social disparities such as race, gender, and class in the academy. Additionally, a lack of adequate mentoring and financial resources to support their research efforts create fundamental challenges for them. In this work, I investigated the barriers African American women overcome in pursuit of academic success in STEM disciplines using a qualitative research method to attend to social, historical, and temporal context. The findings of these studies are tentatively applied; that is, they may be applicable in diverse situations based on comparability of other contexts (Marino, 1995, p. 464). Data for this study included in-depth interviews with five participants, using an open-ended conversational format to facilitate the development of trust, rapport, and maximum elicitation of stories from the participants. The results suggest that African American Women overcome barriers to successful STEM careers through their family and social ties, mentoring relationships, and religious practices. |
